Muslim Library Girl

The Fetishisation of Books

2011-10-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

I love books! I've loved books since I was a child. Of course, when I first started reading, the only books that existed were pulp books. Now we have e-books and I admit that I love them as much as I love my pulp books. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. I love many things about books but the thing I love the most are the words they contain. Yes, I love books because I actually read them.

However, I have noticed a disturbing trend among some book lovers, particularly those who prefer pulp books over e-books. Many of these people think of pulp books as something to be cherished simply because they exist. "I love the look of [pulp] books." "I love the smell of [pulp] books." "You can't get that new [pulp] book smell with an e-book." "I just love the touch of [pulp] books." I put pulp in brackets in each sentence because people with these views seem to think that only pulp books are real books and e-books are impostors. They simply say "book" as if it only encompasses pulp books but I digress.

What all those statements entail are not a good defense of pulp books (there are actual real advantages that pulp books still have over e-books [which are still in their infancy]) but a weird fetishisation of books that, in my opinion, belittles what books are really all about. We value books (or should anyway) because of the words and the information they contain. Is it really important that a copy of Pride and Prejudice or Great Expectations has a fancy, pretty cover with gold painted pages? What really matters are the words contained in between the covers or in the digital file.

I have a bounded copy of all of Jane Austen's novels that a friend brought for me. The book is beautiful to look at. I've had a couple of friends remark that they thought it was a Bible until they look closely at the spine. However, I have never read a full novel from it. You know why? The print is too small and the book is very heavy. It's much more convenient to read a battered paperback copy of an Austen and even more convenient to read an Austen novel on my e-reader. When I read Pride and Prejudice or Emma on my e-reader, Austen's wit and social commentary on the gentry and bourgeoisie of Regency era England come across just as well as if I had the same words in the beautiful but heavy pulp copy.

So why are some readers so hung up on the aesthetics of p-books all of a sudden? I don't remember hearing or reading about people waxing poetic about aesthetics of p-books before e-books came along. Honestly, this type of thinking presupposes that the virtue of books is in their mere physical existence. Somehow, a physical book is good because it's a physical book. This overlooks the fact that a lot of books are crap. Honestly, I would prefer if all the terrible books of the world were just e-books. At least they wouldn't take up space in a library or a bookstore (which brings me to my next point).

It also overlooks the fact that p-books produce a lot of waste. Publishers and libraries alike have to burn or otherwise destroy books that didn't sell or no longer have a place in a library collection. Even "pretty" books that look nice and have a "new book smell" get destroyed.

However, I suppose that the ultimate reason some book lovers go on and on about the physical qualities of their p-books is because change is hard to accept. Amazon is already selling more e-books than p-books. It isn't hard to imagine that sometime in the future, p-books will be like vinyl records and cassette tapes: quaint relics of a time, our time, gone by.

My introduction!

2011-09-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

My name is Faith Barrow-Waheed. I currently reside in Toledo, OH and have lived there for the past three years with my husband. I married my husband in 2006. Before coming to Toledo, I lived in Cleveland, OH, where I completed my Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies at Case Western Reserve University. For two years I worked as a secretary at an Islamic school in the greater Toledo area. I am currently a full time student in the MLIS program at Wayne State University. Once I complete my degree I hope to work in a public library in an urban area as a reference librarian. As an African American woman who comes from inner city Philadelphia, my goal is to be able to help people from a similar background as mine be able to access the information they need to improve their lives.

As a student in LIS 6010, I hope to learn about the various professions that information professionals can join as well as the theoretical framework behind our profession. When I went to the orientation for MLIS, I was amazed by all the different possibilities that exist for people with an MLIS. In LIS 6010, I hope to be able to learn more about those paths.

Since I have a humanities background, I think I will be able to bring my research skills as well my writing skills to my group. My college major was writing intensive. The writing skills that I learned in college will not only help me but hopefully be of use to my fellow group members as well. Additionally, I had to conduct research for various research papers as well as an independent study that I wrote about gender norms among Muslim women converts in the West. I want to build upon those skills in this program but I think the skills I already have be useful to myself and my group.

Learning about the theoretical concepts behind the profession will be fun. I am interested in theory as much as the practical application of the various theories we will learn in our course. What I think will be challenging is group work. I did not have to do many group projects in college. The secretary position required me to work alone most of the time. So I do not have much experience working in groups. However, being in this course will help to give me more experience in that regard.

Characteristics that I prefer in my teammates include open-mindedness, a willingness to actively listen to other members, patience, flexibility and the ability to work hard. The best groups I have worked in are groups where members consider each other to be equals and genuinely listen to the ideas of other members.

Outside of my academic interests, I take an active interest in gender issues. I write a personal blog titled the Tales of a Modern Muslimah that focuses on the intersection of gender, race, class and Islam. I have written on the blog since 2006. I also contributed to a group blog for two years called Muslimah Media Watch. The blog critically examines the media portrayals of Muslim women.

For pleasure, I read books on a variety of topics. I love to gather as much information about different issues as I possibly can. I’m also an avid figure skating fan and I sometimes attend competitions that take place in various parts of the country.

My Resume

2011-09-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

My first post on my blog is my resume. I will use this blog for networking, among other things, so having my resume up will help in that regard.

Faith Barrow-Waheed

fsbarrow[at]gmail[dot]com

Objective

To apply for admission into Wayne State University’s Master of Library and Information Science program

Education

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies, Magna cum Laude August 2008

GPA: 3.77/4.00
Major GPA: 3.87/4.00
Independent Study: Challenges of Western Convert Muslim Women in Navigating Islamic and Western Gender Norms

Philadelphia High School for Girls, Philadelphia, PA
Graduate, Summa cum Laude June 2002

AWARDS

The Ratner Family Prize for highest achievement in religious studies, Case Western Reserve University
Dean’s List, High Honors, 2007-2008, Case Western Reserve University
AP Scholar

MEMBERSHIPS

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

International honor society of two year colleges

Related Work
EXPERIENCE

Philadelphia READS, Philadelphia, PA
Summer Reading Coordinator June 2005-August 2005

Created various reading and writing activities for inner city children
Tutored children in reading
Coordinated book giveaways for children in local neighborhood

Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Library Aide September 1999-November 1999

Assisted elementary school students with homework and other school assignments after school
Assisted children with use of the internet as well as computer software geared towards children

Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Library Aide June 1999-August 1999

Shelved returned and new books
Entered new books into library data system
Placed barcodes on new books

ADDITIONAL WORK
EXPERIENCE

Islamic School of Greater Toledo, Perrysburg, OH
Secretary March 2009-August 2010

Maintain students’ academic and medical files
Maintain students’ financial accounts electronically
Collect tuition payments and other money received by school
Keep electronic record of all school financial transactions including monies received and bills paid
Act as liaison between parents and school regarding tuition and other financial matters
Answer telephone
Greet visitors to school
Assist in other capacities as needed

University Hospital of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH
Medical data entry July 2007-August 2007

Entered physicians’ Medicare and state license numbers into hospital data system for billing
Entered physicians’ professional data into hospital system for billing

Diversified Community Services, Philadelphia, PA
Summer Career Exploration Program Monitor June 2005-August 2005

Facilitated weekly seminars on workplace skills for youth employees
Monitored worksites for summer youth employment program including communication with site supervisors and student workers
Managed timesheets for summer youth employees